Barrows To Seek Re-election, Tackle District Problems

In the decidedly tony University Club on Hartford's Lewis Street, four-term state Sen. Frank D. Barrows announced Thursday he wants another two years in the state legislature.

Barrows, who will be challenged by Thirman L. Milner, said if re-elected, he will continue to fight problems in the district.

"We'll attack what's happening on crime and drugs, the homeless and on the high unemployment in the city," Barrows said to about 25 supporters Thursday night.

Milner, a former Hartford mayor and state legislator who declared his candidacy last weekend, hopes to win the party's endorsement at a convention Tuesday but Barrows plans to get enough support to force a September primary.

The new district covers the southern part of Windsor, the east half of Bloomfield and north Hartford.

Milner said Thursday that after eight years in the legislature, Barrows has not been a strong voice for the district.

"He has not taken a pro-active leadership position in the senate, even though he's on some important committees," Milner said, pointing to Barrows' chairmanship of the public safety and the select housing committees.

"That's a lot of experience but he hasn't put it to use."

But Barrows said his committee has raised initiatives, such as a bill that increases the penalty for people carrying guns in schools.

Milner, who is supported by longtime ally Mayor Carrie Saxon Perry, said he may decline to run if he does not get the party's nod at the convention. However, Milner has said he expects to get the endorsement.

On the other hand, Barrows said that if he can force a primary he is considering running against Milner twice -- first in the Democratic primary and then if he lost that contest, again in the general election as A Connecticut Party candidate.

Barrows said that he will accept that party's endorsement, which was offered Wednesday.

"I see everyone else is going to take it, then I'll take it too. I'm honored," Barrows said.

Milner said however that would alienate Barrows' supporters in

the Democratic party.

"That's more dangerous to him than beneficial," Milner said.

Barrows, who works in the technical training division at Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford, served two years in Vietnam and was awarded a Purple Heart.

He is married and has two grown children and lives on Canterbury Street.

The senator is trying to stretch his tenure to 10 years in the state legislature, after first wresting the party's endorsement from former state Sen. Wilber G. Smith in the 1984 campaign. He beat Smith and a Republican candidate in the November election that year.

In each state election year after that, Barrows, 46, has faced Republican opposition but has always won by at least 10,000 votes.

That changed in 1990 when Smith challenged him again for the Democratic nomination in a primary. Barrows defeated Smith in a close race and then went on to defeat then-Windsor mayor Mary Drost. The plurality that time was only 3,600 votes.